Sabrina The Teenage Suspect
by JMFearless
Summary: Sabrina learns that a rogue witch is targeting Libby and tries to protect her enemy. But her attempts to help also make her a suspect. Can she help Libby while clearing her own name? Read to find out. Please R&R.
1. Chapter One: The First Incident

Sabrina the Teenage Suspect

By JMFearless

Chapter One: The First Incident. POV: Libby

It's good to be the queen. I get to walk into school every day and have people either flock to my side or sit there and be jealous, wishing that they could be me. Or my personal favorite, the ones who cringe in fear, knowing that I'm going to put them in place on the social ladder. Sadly, there is one tragically deluded girl who refuses to do any of those things. Or rather, _two _tragically deluded girls. Sabrina Spellman and Valerie Birkhead had a nasty habit of not submitting to my snipes. Instead, they had the nerve to insult her. Who did those two think they were? But it really wasn't Valerie that got under her skin. She was just a background freak…at ordinary freak level, one might say. But the other one does something that gets under my skin. Ever since that day I woke up on the floor of her living room, she tries to be all sickeningly nice to me whenever we're around. She plasters this little smile on her face and tries to pretend like she cares. Sometimes she just ignores the insults rather than shoving them back in my face, like she's trying to be considerate or something. But I know it's fake. There's no reason she would really care about me after the way I've treated her. I know that. I accept it. I'm used to people not caring about me. I live with my mother after all and...well, lets just say she taught me everything I know. Like mother, like daughter right? Now I realize that you're probably thinking that the little blonde freak is just trying to make a nice gesture, but I wish she wouldn't pretend like that. I wish she'd just be honest and act like she hates me. Faking kindness isn't cool. Then again, it is Safreakna, queen of the uncool. Oh and for the record, if she tells you that I offered to give her a ride home, I absolutely did not. It's just a filthy lie. She even tried to sell it to me when I woke up.

Since I'm ready to go, I hop in my incredibly cool car and prepare to drive myself to school. This is one of the best parts of high school, because I get to see the envious looks on the face of every other student, including Safreakna. It's so delicious seeing that look on her face. I can't wait to see it again. It will be like a nice breath of fresh air to start my morning. I do my usual momentary outfit check before starting the car. Well, theoretically starting it anyway, because for some strange reason, it refuses to start.

"Come on you piece of junk!" I scream at it, getting out of the car. I can't believe this! How can my car not start? It's supposed to be perfect, just like me. This is so unfair. I guess I'm going to have to walk to school, which makes me groan. I don't like walking. It's so common. But mom's already gone to work for the day, so unless I want to ride the bus with the other commoners, so I'd better get moving. The streets sure are dull though. Man I hate this. The universe has absolutely no right to treat me like this. It just isn't fair. I've only ever had to walk to school once before, so I decide to do now what I did then: Pass the time by staring at random things and categorizing them into junky or cool. Good practice for school.

"Hmmm," I say, "Junk, junk, junk…ooh that car is kind of cool…junk, junk, junk, wait are those rain clouds? Oh great." I hate the thought of getting rained on. As if I would want my perfect hair and makeup ruined. Ew. I hurry faster, hoping to get out of the rain in a hurry. Not enough of a hurry though apparently, because my makeup still managed to get smudged and my hair is all wet. Maybe riding the bus with the commoners wouldn't have been so bad after all. At least I would have been able to lord my superior beauty over them. Unfortunately, now the thing that is normally my greatest strength is going to be my greatest enemy. Oh, you're probably wondering what that is, right? Well, simply put, it's the fact that everyone at school can see me. Normally I love it, because everyone can instantly see how superior I am to all of them, but now I wish it would just go away. How am I going to get to the bathroom and clean up without anyone seeing this unchecked disaster? I know, I'll just have to hide my face as best I can and run for it. Okay, here it goes. I take a deep breath and shove open the door, making a dead run for the bathroom and covering my face with both arms. Okay, so maybe this wasn't the best plan. I can tell by the whispers that I'm attracting as much attention as ever.

"Hey Libby," a voice says, "You okay?" Oh wonderful, it's _her, _with her usual phony concern for me.

"I'm fine!" I snap bitterly, "Get away from me freak!" Normally I would have toyed with her rather than going straight for the jugular like that, but having to walk here in the torrential downpour has pretty much ruined my mood to the point where I can't even be bothered.

"Well it's just…you don't look so good," she says, "Did you walk here in this weather?" Why won't she take a hint? Guess I'll have to spell it out for her.

"Leave me _alone, _Freakman!" I growl. I hurry into the bathroom, hoping she won't follow me. I listen for a moment for the sound of her footsteps, but I sigh with relief when I don't hear them. Thank heaven she didn't follow me in here. The last thing I need is for the queen of the freaks to see me looking like such a mess. I slowly move my arms down from my face and grab paper towels, quickly wiping away the mess that the bad weather has made of my makeup. Luckily, I carry a spare supply on me for emergencies. It'll take a while, but it's always better to be fashionably late to class than to show up looking like a freak, right?

(End of Chapter One)

**A/N: So there it is, Chapter One. What do you think? Please leave reviews.**


	2. Chapter Two: Sabrina's Troubles

**Disclaimer: Should've mentioned this in Chapter One, but Sabrina The Teenage Witch is not mine. As if I could come up with such a brilliant series. **

Chapter Two: Sabrina's Troubles. POV: Sabrina

I storm through the door of my aunts' house, followed by the bolt of lightning that always accompanies an irritated Spellman.

"Oh Sabrina," Aunt Zelda says with her usual concerned tone, "Is something bothering you?"

"Libby," I answer angrily.

"What did the wicked little diva do this time?" Hilda asked.

"Well, she came into school soaking wet, looking like a wreck," I answer, "I felt bad for her, so I _tried _to be nice and ask her if she was okay and she jumped down my throat as usual. I mean, what's her problem?"

"She's an evil little witch," Salem says, "And with that statement, I must now write a letter of apology to every witch in the Other Realm."

"Salem, don't call her names," I answer. Heaven help me, I just leaped to the defense of a girl who hates my guts. What's this world coming to?

"Oh, but I have so much good material," Salem says, "Listen Sabrina, be a doll and get me a salmon will you?"

"Stuff it cat," I say, pointing a finger at Salem, who immediately becomes tied up in a string,

"Ohhh the humanity," Salem says, "This is cruelty to animals I tell you."

"I know the Quizmaster says that I have to show her compassion," I tell him, "But how am I supposed to show compassion for someone who couldn't be less interested in my help?"

"That's the whole point of showing compassion," Zelda says, "Libby is much too vain to admit that she might need help from other people. If you really want to help her, you're going to have to be persistent."

"Yeah, I guess," I tell her, "But sometimes Quizmaster's little life lessons can be a real pain in the neck."

"Well if that's a problem," Quizmaster says, popping into the living room, "I can always schedule you for a free massage."

"Oh great," I say, "And now you're here to give me another quiz?"

"No," Quizmaster says, "I'm here to pass on some information. First of all, I'm glad to see you taking my lesson to heart. Secondly, you're right to be concerned about Libby. Look at this." He points a finger at the TV screen and a display comes up.

"What's this?" I ask.

"It's a record of recent spells," Quizmaster says, "Look at these two." He points again and two spells are highlighted.

"Car failure spell," I read, "Target…hey this is Libby's car."

"Are you sure?" Zelda asks.

"Hey, I have seen her show off that thing every day since she got it," I say, "This is a perfect description of it. No wonder she was walking in the rain."

"Read the second one," Quizmaster says.

"Weather manipulation spell," I say "This is Libby's neighborhood. So someone actually altered the weather to make it rain there?"

"Pretty much," Quizmaster says, "Libby is the common thread between the two. There's a rogue witch out there who has it out for Libby."

"Oh man, then she's really going to need my help," I say, "There's no way she can defend herself against a witch who wants to hurt her."

"The Witches Council is fired up about it," Quizmaster says, "But they can't identify the witch."

"Well," I muse, "I'm sure it has to be someone at school. The car failure was to force Libby to walk to school and the weather spell was to ruin the hair and makeup she's so proud of."

"An attempt to strike at Libby's vanity," Quizmaster agrees, "The kind of thing a rival student would attempt. Good thinking Sabrina."

"It's probably someone who has a grudge against Libby," I say, "Doesn't really narrow it down though. A lot of people at school have a grudge against her. She makes it her life's work to make others miserable."

"Well, there's only one thing you can do if you really want to help her," Quizmaster says.

"Yeah yeah I know," I answer, "I have to be persistent. I'm not going to like it, but I'll do it."

"Glad to hear it," Quizmaster says, "Keep an eye on Libby. Whoever it is will probably want to stick around and watch their work."

"I've been learning a spell that might help," I say, remembering this from the magic book "Libby Chessler is in danger, help me track down an angry magical stranger."

"Magical sensor spell," Quizmaster says, "Nice choice. And you didn't make the incantation too vague either. Nice work Sabrina. I see you've been practicing."

"I try," I answer modestly.

"So you're really going to try and save Libby?" Salem asks.

"Yeah," I tell him, "Which unfortunately means spending lots of quality time with her. I think I had this nightmare before, only I was naked."

"Thanks for sharing that," Quizmaster said, "Okay now I gotta get out of here before I throw up from that disturbing mental image."

"Anytime Quizmaster," I answer as he disappears

"I think you've scarred poor Quizmaster for life," Zelda remarks

"Hey serves him right for being such a pain," I tell her, "I really do hope I can help though. Not even Libby deserves to go through something like this." I'm sure I must look really sad, because both Zelda and Hilda are looking at me with pitying gazes. "Please don't look at me like that," I tell them, "I'm going to be all right. I just hope I can come up with a convincing story for Libby. She's going to want to know why I'm spending so much time with her. "

"You could just tie her up and lock her in a closet," Salem suggests.

"Yeah," Hilda says, "It's a method of protection and a gratuitous play for revenge all in one."

"No, that would be wrong," I point out, "I'm going to protect her without lowering myself to her level."

"That's very big of you," Zelda says, "Try to take care of yourself too though."

"Yeah," I say, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a report to do on the Industrial Revolution."

"Waaaait," Salem says, "Please get me out of this stringy death trap." His signature whine is in his voice again. I casually pointed at Salem and the string releases him. I turn around and walk up to my room, shutting the door behind me.


	3. Chapter Three: Machinations

**A/N: This chapter may be a little shorter than the previous ones**

Chapter Three: Machinations. POV: The Culprit, then Libby

I'm surprised. I hadn't expected Sabrina Spellman to be so concerned over someone as despicable as Libby Chessler. I've stood by and watched the two of them go at it countless times. What I'm doing is as much of a gift for Sabrina as it is for me. First, I'll destroy everything that Libby has. Someone who mistreats others the way Libby has constantly mistreated me doesn't deserve to have things like family, so I'll take them away. But should I be worried about Sabrina as well? I know about the Spellman family and I know that my classmate is a witch. For now, I've decided that I'll leave Sabrina alone for now. I'd never go after a fellow witch without a good reason. Unlike Libby, I don't thrive on the pain of others…unless they deserve it of course. And no one deserves it more than Libby.

"Honey?" mom's voice comes from downstairs, "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine mom," I assure her, "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well, you just came home and went straight upstairs," she says, "It isn't like you."

"I'm okay," I tell her, "I just have a lot of work to do. Gotta keep up my good grades and everything."

"You're always such a hard worker," she says, her voice filled with pride. Of course I am. I'm all about academics, after all. Makes a good way to balance out the use of magic. Contrary to popular opinion, studying can be a pretty good form of stress relief. Okay, I guess that there are a few things I should tell you about myself. I won't tell you my name, because I don't know who you are or who you might tell. But I'll tell you this: My parents don't know I'm a witch. They are blissfully ignorant of it. In fact, I've suspected for a while that they aren't my real family, since they have no magic in their blood. Imagine that huh? An adopted witch living with mortals. But don't worry; I'm not prejudiced against mortals. I won't come down on you if you're a mortal. I actually want to make life easier for mortals. I mean, if people like Libby went away, wouldn't it be easier for everyone?

"I made you some brownies," my mother calls, "Do you want some?"

"Sure," I say. Mind you, I could make my own brownies using magic, but my mother is an awesome baker, I'd hate to disappoint her by denying her the opportunity to show off her talent. I head downstairs and enter the kitchen, eyeing the brownies on the table. They look positively delicious. Excuse me for a moment while I lose myself in the chocolate bliss. Okay, moment over. Now as I was saying, my parents don't know that I'm a witch. And more importantly, neither does the Witches Council. I've found a way to mask my magical energies when I use them. It's a complicated spell, but I managed to learn it. I'm just that gifted. Now, that's all you really need to know about me for now. Well, no, there is one more thing that you should know: I'm about to cast another spell on Libby. Last time I struck at her vanity and this time I'm going take a shot at something a little more personal. _Enjoy this Libby. Let's hope that it teaches you a lesson in humility._

(Libby's POV)

Today could not possibly have been worse if Sabrina Spellman herself had planned it out. Walking to school in the rain, ruining my hair and makeup and having to have the little freak notice it and show me more of her manufactured concern. What else could possibly ruin my good mood today? I glare at the ground as I walk, not bothering to keep my eyes in front of me. Who cares what's in front of you after a horrible day like this? Although, what's behind me isn't much to look at either; I guess that today I don't have anything. I just want to go home, lie down and take a nap for two weeks.

My musings are suddenly interrupted by the sound of sirens, which judging by the way they wail belongs to fire engines. Some poor soul's house burning down; that's so sad. Does it surprise you that I can feel sympathy for others? Well, I can. It may not apply to certain people, but a person losing their home is just sad. That would probably even get me to feel bad for Safreakna. Even freaks deserve a place to live.

My feet eventually carry me to my house, but not before I see the most horrifying sight my eyes could possibly behold. Even more horrifying than the way my hair looked in the mirror this morning. The house that the fire engines are gathered at is _my _house. Oh my God, the whole house is engulfed in flames and the firemen are desperately trying to put it out. I hurry over to one of them.

"What happened?" I ask him.

"We're not sure," he says, "All we know is that the house suddenly caught fire and that the occupant is still inside." _What? Mom? Oh my God! _

"That's my mom in there," I tell him desperately, "Please, you have to save her." Now don't get me wrong here, sometimes my mother really bothers me, but she's still my mom right.

"We're still working on getting into the house," he says, "Please stay back and let us do our job."

"You have to get her out of there," I say, "Please."

"We're trying," he says, "But the flames are everywhere." A radio crackles at the firefighter's hip.

"Sir," a voice says, "We were able to get in. We've located the occupant of the house, but I'm afraid she's dead of smoke inhalation."

"What?" I scream, "No…no, she can't be dead." I turn away from the scene before me, opting for my preferred response for negative stimuli and start crying. I'd never do this in a place like school, where everyone can see me. It's then that I hear the voice.

"Libby," she says, gazing up at the burning house, "I'm so sorry." As soon as she says that, I feel her arms loop around me softly, pulling me into a hug. Normally I'd be angry that the freak was touching me, but I'm too numb to tell her off, so I just stick to crying.


	4. Chapter Four: Revelations

Chapter Four: Revelations. POV: Sabrina

Okay, this is officially awkward. The tension in here is so thick that you could cut it with a knife. It took some doing, but I finally managed to get Libby calmed down and convince her to come get some coffee with me. Not that I expect that caffeine will make her feel better, but it's better than nothing. I'm surprised she even came along. If she wasn't in severe shock, she probably wouldn't have. She starts to open her mouth like she wants to say something and then closes it.

"It's okay," I say in my best reassuring tone, "If you have something to say, go ahead."

"Why are you doing this?" she asks.

"Doing what?" I ask her

"Being nice," she says, "Trying to make me feel better. Have you forgotten that we're enemies?"

"My memory is as good as ever," I tell her, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder.

"Then why?" she asks, "I don't understand."

"It's simple," I tell her, "Even if we're enemies, you don't deserve to suffer this kind of pain alone." The look on her face when I say that is heartbreaking. In an instant, I see the conflict that's raging inside her heart. Right now, she's probably having an internal debate about whether or not I can be trusted.

"All right Spellman," she says after a moment, "If you want to help me so bad, fine." She shoots me the barest hint of a smile, which I realize may be the only acknowledgment I ever get from her. "So what exactly can you do?" she asks, "I mean, it isn't like it's your fault that my house burned down or that my mom's dead. Or even that I got caught in the rain today. And…although it really pains me to say this out loud…I'm sorry that I snapped earlier."

"It's okay," I tell her with a smile; "I know what it's like to have a bad day. And there is something I can do to help you. But first it means I have to tell you a pretty big secret about me. Something you can't tell anyone…ever. I'm talking about something I wouldn't even tell you if I didn't think you had a right to know."

"What?" she asks, looking confused, "What is it?"

"I mean it," I tell her seriously, "You have to swear right now that what I am about to reveal to you will never leave this table." She looks at me, perhaps wondering if I'm about to tell her that I'm some kind of insane ex-con or something, but she sighs and nods.

"Okay," she says.

"Swear it!" I tell her.

"Okay okay," she says, "I, Libby Chessler, solemnly swear never to reveal what you're about to tell me to anyone. If I'm lying, let me suffer the scourge of unpopularity."

"If you're lying, you will," I say, bringing my voice to a low whisper, "I can make that happen. See, I'm a witch."

"A witch?" she asks, eyeing me skeptically, "Is this a practical joke or something?"

"No," I say, deciding a demonstration is in order, "Let me get you a refill." I point at her half empty cup and make it fill up with more coffee. She cautiously lifts the lid and gasps when she sees the full cup.

"Yeah," I tell her, "I had that same reaction when my powers came in. You haven't lived until you've woken up floating above your bed." I laugh a little, trying to lighten the mood.

"That's…that's…" she says.

"If that sentence ends in "freakish", I'll walk out of here and you'll be on your own." Don't worry, I'd never really abandon her like that, but I don't want her to call me a freak either. I don't need to be insulted by the person I'm trying to help.

"It's…interesting," she decides, apparently electing not to push her luck, "So how can you help anyway?"

"These things that have been happening to you," I start, "Your car failing, the rainstorm in your neighborhood, the fire. None of them were accidents. There's a witch out there using magic to attack you."

"What?" she asks, "You mean Mom was…murdered?"

"Pretty much," I tell her. I hate having to tell her this, knowing it's only going to make her feel bad, but she needs to know what kind of danger she's in.

"Because…because of me?" she asks.

"Yes," I tell her, "Someone who holds a serious grudge against you."

"That's a lot of suspects," Libby says ruefully, "I've made a lot of people mad. And before you come down on me, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I brought this all on myself."

"Well, I'd be lying if I told you that I wasn't thinking that," I tell her, "But that doesn't change anything. I'm going to help you out anyway. Now I need to know, who have you annoyed recently?"

"Contrary to the impression that I usually give, I don't keep a list," she answers.

"Okay, I get it," I tell her, "Look, let me worry about finding this person. In the meantime, you can stay with my aunts."

"But your aunts are…" she begins.

"Don't go there," I warn her. She nods and closes her mouth, appearing to think for a moment.

"Can they really protect me?" she asks.

"They're witches too," I tell her, "They can help keep you safe and it is better than not having a place to stay, right?"

"I guess you have a point," she says, sounding like it's actually causing her some stress to concede that.

"All right," I say, giving her a smile.

"Listen, I don't say this a lot, especially not to people I can't stand, but thanks Spellman," she says.

"No problem," I tell her grinning.

"But Spellman," she says, "Don't think this makes us friends. You're just someone I'm forced to trust for now."

"All right, I get it," I tell her with a laugh, "You don't have to think of me as a friend. Just lay low and keep the secret."

"Yeah, yeah, I remember the whole promise you forced me to make," she says, "Aren't you…?" She pauses for a moment.

"Aren't I what?" I ask her.

"You know," she says, "Aren't you going to get in trouble for telling me about what you are?" I could be mistaken, but she actually sounds worried about me."

"Probably," I say, "But don't worry about that. It's my problem. Now hold still and I'll send you to my place." I gesture with my finger and she disappears. Luckily, I've been spending time practicing that spell, so I know she got there okay. I sigh and head out of the coffee shop, ready to start tracking down the person who's attacking Libby. Unfortunately, not I'm unable to move a muscle.

"It's a freezing spell," a voice says, "Don't try to resist."

"Who are you?" I ask.

"A representative from The Witches' Council," the voice says, followed by a rough pair of hands on me arms, "Sabrina Spellman, you're under arrest."


	5. Chapter Five: Trial And Error

Chapter Five: Trial and Error. POV: Libby, then Sabrina

"You know, I've got to say, this place isn't as bad as I thought it would be," I comment, looking around at the decorations, "I mean, I've been in here once, but I never really looked around. I always thought it would be kind of drab."

"Oh well thank you Libby," one of them answers, "Can we throw her out now?"

"Now Hilda, Sabrina has obviously decided that Libby is worth protecting," the other one says, "So we should let her stay and protect her."

"Are you sure?" the one called Hilda asks, "We could just turn her into a salmon and feed her to Salem."

"Ohhhh," a voice says from somewhere, "Pleeeease feed me a nice juicy salmon." I look around, shocked, desperately seeking the source of the voice, but the only other creature in the room is a cat.

"What are you looking at?" the voice snaps and this time I swear I saw the cats lips move.

"Did the umm…" I start, "Did the cat just talk?"

"Yes, the cat did just talk," the cat answers, "Salem Saberhagen at your service. Now can we revisit this salmon idea?"

"No, Salem, we can't," the other one says, "Please don't worry about him Libby. He has a smart mouth, but he's harmless."

"Um, I'm gonna be honest with you," I tell her, "This whole situation is freaking me out. See, assuming that you two are Sabrina's aunts, I know you're…you know…witches."

"We know," she said, "Sabrina told us that she planned on telling you. I'm Zelda Spellman and this is Hilda."

"It's um…nice to meet you," I tell them. It really isn't and under normal circumstances, I wouldn't say so, but being in a house with a couple of witches and having already bashed their house, maybe it's a good time to start playing politics.

"Can I get you something to eat?" Zelda asks me.

"Um no," I say, "I'm not really hungry right now. I'm still reeling from today's weirdness."

"Of course," Zelda said, "You're welcome to stay though, if you don't mind sleeping on the couch." Ew. I actually do mind, but I am a guest here after all and again, they are witches. I really have no desire to be turned into a frog or anything else they might turn me in to.

"That…that sounds fine," I say, "Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead," Zelda asks. I'm surprised that she's being so accommodating, considering how I've treated her niece. If you were to ask me if I feel a little guilty now, the answer would still be an unconditional no. Really, I mean it. I'm not sorry one bit. Okay, okay, maybe a little. I mean, even I'm not so cold that I can't feel gratitude when someone does something nice for me and Sabrina has been nice, if nothing else. But it raises one very big question and Sabrina's answer still doesn't satisfy me, so I have to ask.

"Why is Sabrina going to all this trouble?" I ask Zelda, since Hilda seems content not to speak to me, "I mean, it's not like I'm deserving of her help."

"Sabrina doesn't see it that way," Zelda says, "You get on her nerves, but it doesn't mean that she hates you."

"That makes absolutely no sense," I comment, "People are supposed to hate the people who hurt them, but instead she's decided to put herself at risk for me. Who does that?"

"Sabrina does," Zelda says, "Although I am concerned about her telling you she's a witch."

"If it's any comfort, I promised her that I wouldn't tell anyone," I say, "As much as it pains me to admit it, I figure that I owe her that much."

"I'm glad to hear that," Zelda says, "But Sabrina has taken a huge risk anyway. Our world has strict rules against revealing ourselves to mortals. She'll probably have to answer for it later." I sigh a little. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I feel bad for her. I guess she's starting to grow on me a little, despite my best efforts to resist.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep," I say, "I'm a little tired."

"Of course," Zelda says, "We'll leave you alone then." I nod and go over to the couch and lie down, curling up in a ball. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Zelda pointing at me and I suddenly find myself wrapped in a warm blanket. In moments, I feel myself drifting quietly off to sleep.

(Sabrina's POV)

"Sabrina Spellman," the judge says, "Do you understand why you're here?"

"Not really," I tell him, "It's not every day that I get hauled off the street by some random guy."

"You're accused of using magic to murder a mortal," the judge answers.

"What?" I ask, "I didn't…" Then I stop, realizing what he means. "You think I set Libby's house on fire?" The look on his face tells me everything I need to know. "Look, it wasn't me," I insist, "I'd never do anything like that. Why would you think I did this?"

"Well," the judge says, "It's common knowledge that you have a grudge against Libby."

"Grudge sure," I say, "She gets under my skin sometimes and I play pranks on her, but I'd never use my powers to attack her."

"Then why were you in Libby's neighborhood around the time of the fire?" the judge asks me.

"I was tracking the person who was going after her," Sabrina explained, "I used a magic sensor spell and I sensed a spell at her house. That's how I got there. I'm trying to protect her, not hurt her. Look, you know every spell we do right? Check my record and you'll see the sensor spell."

"Ah," the judge says, checking the record, "So if it isn't you, do you have any idea who it is?"

"I don't know," I answer, "But give me a chance to think." I go over what I know about the culprit in my head. The culprit goes to our school and is someone who doesn't like Libby. There are a lot of people who do that, but I bet this person is a female. All the guys at school are head over heels for Libby. Well, except for the geeks, but no one with magical powers would willingly choose to remain a geek. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with being a geek, but anyone who had the power to change it would have a long time ago rather than put up with the attitude from Libby. So yes, the culprit is a female student from our school. I'm also having another thought: Why wouldn't the culprit have done all this earlier if they had the power? What if the answer is because they didn't have the power before? If they're anything like me, they would have gotten their power when they turned sixteen. My mind suddenly flashes back to a conversation I had in science class a couple of weeks ago, just before this all started.

"_Doesn't Libby Chessler bother you?" _

"_Eh, I try not to let her get under my skin."_

"_But she always walks around like she's superior to everyone."_

"_You just have to ignore her."_

"_Yeah I guess. Oh, by the way, I'm turning sixteen tomorrow and I'm throwing a big party. You wanna come?"_

"_Sure. I'd be happy to."_

I'm really hoping this doesn't mean what I think it means, but I have to take a chance.

"I have a suspect," I tell the judge, "A girl from my school named Erin Sizemore also has a grudge against Libby and she just turned sixteen, so she could have just come into her powers."

"I see," the judge says, "We'll find this Erin Sizemore and take care of her."

"Wait," I tell the judge, "Let me take care of it."

"The Witches Council is much more capable of handling a rogue witch," the judge answers.

"But this is my responsibility," I say, "I don't know if Erin is guilty yet and she's a friend. Let me handle it, please." The judge pauses for a moment, appearing to consider.

"Very well," the judge agrees, "You have one week."

"Thank you," I say, standing up and heading for the exit.


	6. Chapter Six: Called Out

Chapter Six: Called Out. POV: Libby

"Erin Sizemore?" I ask Sabrina, "You think?"

"Yeah," Sabrina answers, "She just turned sixteen, the same age I was when I got my powers and she doesn't like you."

"Guess I should have expected that," I say, "When she was a freshman, I used to mock her a lot too."

"You really should stop doing stuff like that," she says, "I mean, I'm surprised someone didn't plot revenge against you earlier." Her comment makes me angry and I glare at her a little, but then I withdraw it. She does have a point. Sometimes the truth is ugly. But then, I've never shied away from telling it to Sabrina, so I shouldn't expect her to shy away from telling it to me.

"I do have one question though," I ask her, "You have these powers too? How come you never went after me for the way I treated you?"

"I did," she admits, sounding a bit rueful, "The first time was just an accident. I turned you into a pineapple."

"Really?" I ask her, "I don't remember that."

"The Witches Council gave me a time travel spell so I could do that day over again," Sabrina says.

"You can travel through time?" I ask her.

"Only with permission," she says, "I haven't learned the spell to do it on my own yet."

"So you've made mistakes with your power?" I ask her, "Guess even having supernatural powers doesn't make you perfect." I manage a light laugh. It's starting to sink in that I really do like Sabrina, in spite of myself. There's a lot more to her than I ever realized.

"Yeah," she answers, "But that wasn't as bad as some of the stuff I did on purpose. Remember last year when I had that enormous wart and I got really fed up with you making fun of me for it? Well, I was kind of stressed out that day and I turned you into a goat."

"Well, that explains why I had a sudden urge to eat paper that day," I comment, laughing a little, "Actually, this whole magic thing explains a lot."

"Sorry," Sabrina says, looking sincerely apologetic, "Like I said, I was having a bad day. Everything was making me mad. It turned into this whole thing. I ended up trapped inside my mirror for hours. And before you ask, that's not as cool as you're thinking it is."

"I'm not thinking it's very cool," I admit, "I love mirrors, but I'd hate to be trapped in one. Must have been a drag."

"Yeah," she says, "It was. A lot of my magic has had some pretty nasty consequences. Sorry about that."

"It's okay," I say, surprising myself a little, "I'm sure that I deserved some of it. I'm sorry about the way I've treated you." Wow, I just surprised myself again.

"It's all right," she says, "Why don't we just put that behind us? We have the present to focus on now."

"Yeah," I agree, giving her a smile. I once read somewhere that a friend is someone who looks out for your best interests, even when no one else knows that they're doing it. I didn't understand it what that meant at first, but now I think I do. In that sense of the word, Sabrina truly is my friend. "Sabrina" and "friend"; two words I never thought I'd use in the same sentence, unless it was "Sabrina is not my friend" or "Sabrina and her friend are major freaks." Apparently, times change.

"I just wish I knew how I was going to stop her," Sabrina says, "I don't even know where she lives."

"I have an idea," I say, "She wants me. What if I use myself as bait?"

"No!" Sabrina exclaims forcefully, "I mean, I couldn't let you do that. It would be wrong."

"No it wouldn't," I argue, "I'm the one who created this situation, so I'm the one who should fix it."

"_We _will fix it," she says, "Together. But not by making rash decisions. Trust me, when magic is involved, those never turn out well."

"Fine," I agree, figuring I shouldn't argue about magic with a witch.

"In the meantime, can I make you some tea?" she offers.

"Sure," I say, "Chamomile would be nice."

"Sure," she says, heading into the kitchen just as the phone starts ringing, "Can you grab that?"

"Yeah," I say, picking up the phone, "Hello?"

"Libby," a taunting voice on the other end says, "Come out to play." (**A/N: In the style of Luther from "The Warriors") **Guess Sabrina was right on this one. It is Erin Sizemore. I've never forgotten her voice. It was one of the things that first bothered me about her.

"Hello Erin," I answer, "So it really is you."

"Who else would it be?" she says, "No one else has the guts or the power to punish you like I do. Now there's something I need you to do for me. I need you to come to the school parking lot…without your escort."

"No," I say, knowing that, mush as it bothers me to admit it, I can't protect myself from Erin without Sabrina's help.

"Oh Libby, Libby, Libby," Erin said, "You seem to be under the mistaken impression that I was asking you. You see, I may have gone after your family and your vanity, but there's one thing you have left that I can take. You have a very sweet grandmother, Libby. It would sure be a shame if anything happened to her." Grandma? She can use magic on Grandma?

"What did you do to her?" I demand.

"Oh nothing yet," Erin answers, "She's perfectly fine. And she'll stay that way too, as long as you come to meet me. On the other hand, if you continue to refuse, I'll cast a spell on her and make her have a fatal heart attack. Now then, I'll wait exactly twenty minutes." She hangs up the phone with a click. I think over my options here, but I know that I really only have one: See, believe it or not, I do have a soft spot. My grandmother means the world to me. Between her life and mine, there really is no choice. Now I just have to make sure I get out of the house without Sabrina notice. I stand up and quietly walk to the doorway, slowly opening the door and closing it quietly. _Sorry Sabrina, _I think privately. I realize that I mean that in both senses. I'm sorry for the way I've always treated her and for walking out on her when she's trying to help me out.


	7. Chapter 7: Sabrina The Teenage Rescuer

Chapter Seven: Sabrina the Teenage Rescuer. POV: Sabrina

I breathe in the refreshing steam from the cups of team for a moment before carrying both out to the living room, only to notice that Libby isn't there.

"Aunt Hilda, Aunt Zelda!" I call to them, causing them to rush downstairs.

"What is it?" Aunt Zelda asks me.

"Libby's gone!" I say, "I think the Erin got to her."

"It doesn't look like there was a struggle," Zelda comments, "Maybe Libby left on her own."

"Why would she do that?" I wonder, "She was safe here and she knew she was in danger."

"Erin must have threatened her somehow," Hilda says.

"I guess that would explain it," I say, "So how do we find out where she went?"

"There's a spell we can use," Zelda says, "It'll help us. It's a locator spell. I'll go grab the ingredients." I wait patiently while she roots around in the kitchen for ingredients and soon enough comes out with a bunch of herbs and things.

"All right," Hilda said, "Let's make this happen. Sabrina, stand in front of the cauldron. When Zelda puts the herbs in, think about who you want to find, but make sure that the mental image is very clear." I nod and watch as Aunt Zelda mixes the herbs.

"All right," she says, "It's ready, go ahead Sabrina." I stand over the cauldron, staring into the water, conjuring up the image of Libby in my head, as clear as I can make it. The water starts to bubble a little, and then I see an image in the surface.

"It's the school parking lot," I say, "And Erin is there too, waiting. I see Libby showing up now."

"Okay," Libby's voice comes through the cauldron, "I'm here. Now keep your promise. Don't do anything to my Grandma." Well, that explains it. Erin is officially going down. Even if she doesn't like Libby, threatening an innocent old woman like that is just wrong. I mean, not that I'm saying killing Libby's mother was any better, but she's far from innocent. It's only because of her bad example that Libby acted the way she did. Honestly, I think that the world is better off without her, which I realize isn't a very nice thing to say. Either way though, I have to stop Erin.

"I'm going," I tell the two of them.

"Oh Sabrina, please be careful," Zelda says, "That girl is incredibly dangerous."

"Erin Sizemore is just a brat," I answer, "I'll take care of her."

"I don't usually say this, but Zelda is right," Hilda says, "You shouldn't be overconfident."

"I'll be fine," I tell them, "I'll handle this." I head out the door, hurrying down the street. It's a pretty long walk to school, but at least running helps me keep warm. It's sure cold out here. Man, I hate the winter months. I manage to get there in a few minutes. I could have zapped in, but I couldn't be sure no one else was around, even with that spell.

"Well, well, well," Erin's voice says, "Sabrina. How nice to see you." Erin is standing there, holding Libby in the air with a spell. "You're just in time for the show."

"I didn't come here to watch," I tell her, "You need to stop this."

"So let me get this straight," Erin says, "You want to fight with me over someone like her? She's evil Sabrina. She deserves everything I did to her."

"No one deserves what you did to her," I counter, "You need to stop this. The Witches Council is looking for you."

"I won't stop," Erin says with a sadistic grin, "I'm going to watch her suffer before I kill her."

"I won't let you kill her or her grandmother," I tell her, "Turn yourself in now and you won't get hurt."

"First of all," Erin says, "I already _did _kill her grandmother. I only made that threat to make sure Libby would come. Her dear, sweet grandmother had a little heart attack about twenty minutes ago, courtesy of your friendly neighborhood avenger." I hear the sound of Libby's breath catching in her throat next to me.

"You think you're a hero or something?" I ask her.

"More like a garbage girl," Erin says, "Now get out of my way so that I can get rid of Libby."

"No," I say defiantly.

"Then I'll just have to force you out of the way," she says, pointing at me. I block the spell with my own hand, but I still feel a little pain. She's good, but I'm the more experienced witch.

"Trust me," I tell her, "You don't want to do this. The Witches Council turns people like you into animals."

"They don't know that I'm the one behind this," Erin says, "And once I kill you and Libby, they never will."

"Think that you can kill me?" I ask, pointing at her and causing her to fall to the ground, "I'm a better witch. I have much more experience."

"You're _not _better!" she says angrily, getting up and pointing at me again. I'm unable to block it this time. I fall down and I'm writhing in pain. "Does it hurt?" she asks, "Does it make you want to scream?" I refuse to say anything, fully aware that she's just toying with me, trying to prove her power. Erin has always had very low self-esteem, especially given the way Libby has treated her. She thinks if she can prove her dominance over another witch, it'll make her feel better.

"Erin, this isn't going to make you happy," I tell her, "You really don't want to do this."

"Yes I _do_!" Erin snarls, pointing at me again. The pain starts to feel worse, but I'm not worried. I gesture with my finger, knocking Erin back and then quickly undoing the pain spell.

"Just stop it," I tell her, "I don't want to hurt you. We're friends remember? We always got along well in science club."

"We _were _friends," she says, "Until you showed up here to defend _her!"_ She points angrily at Libby.

"I'm not going to let you hurt her," I answer her. I know one spell that I'm sure she doesn't.

"You can't stop me," she says.

"Yes I can," I tell her, pointing at her, "You haven't acted very cordial, for the next twenty-four hours, you'll be a mortal." Erin howls in pain.

"What did you do?" she demands, "Tell me!"

"I took your powers away," I tell her, "You're going to spend the next day as a mortal. Plenty of time for the Witches Council to deal with you."

"Well done, Sabrina," The Quizmaster's voice says as he appears out of nowhere, "I'll take this one to the Witches Council. Go take care of Libby."

"Thanks," I say.

"No problem," he answers, "But they'll want to see you and Libby later."

"I know," I say. He flashes out and I hurry over to Libby, who is now kneeling on the ground, sobbing. I kneel next to her and fold my arms around her. "It's going to be all right," I tell her.

"It's not," she sobs, "Grandma..."

"I know, I know," I answer, "Just let it out." And that's how the Witches Council representative finds us, with me holding Libby as tight as I can.


	8. Chapter Eight: Desperation Move

Chapter Eight: Desperation Move POV: Libby

"So," I ask Sabrina, "What's going to happen now?"

"Erin will probably be turned into an animal now," she answers, "It's the usual punishment for acts violent uses of magic against mortals. Just ask Salem."

"Get out," I tell her, shocked, "Salem? As in your_ cat?"_

"Oh yeah," she answers, "He tried to take over the world and got sentenced to a hundred years in fur and whiskers." Whoa. I think there's only one reaction I can give in response to that.

"Heavy," I say, "But I really wondered what's going to happen to us now. I mean, you've exposed your secret to me. Doesn't that put us both in trouble?"

"Well, _I'm _definitely in trouble," she says, "I'm only allowed to tell my secret on Friday the Thirteenth and even then the memories only last for 24 hours. But I'm not going to let anything happen to you. It was my choice to tell you the secret and I'll make sure I'm the only one who suffers for it."

"How are you going to do that?" I ask her.

"I do have a plan," she says, "But it depends on you too."

"Tell me more," I answer.

"The Witches Council is probably worried that you'll spill the secret," she answers, "We have to convince them that you won't."

"How?" I ask her. I get the feeling that this is a question I'm going to be asking her a lot.

"They know about our...umm… clashes," she explains hesitantly

"Don't sugarcoat it," I tell her, "Just call them what they are: the end result of me being a horrible person." I hate it when people sugarcoat the truth.

"I wasn't much better," she demurs, "But that's not the point. The point is that they know about it. They're most likely worried that you hate me so much, you'll spill the secret just to hurt me."

"But I don't," I answer, "I mean, maybe I did once, but after what you've done for me, how can I hate you?"

"I know you don't," she tells me with a smile, "Now I just have to convince the Witches Council. I have an idea of how to do that, but it may be difficult for you."

"Anything," I tell her, "You saved my life and you were there for me even after I lost everything."

"You haven't lost everything," she answers, "I mean, I know this is probably small consolation, but I'm still here for you." She gives me a warm smile and places a hand on my shoulder. She seems fond of these intimate, comforting gestures, but for once I'm grateful for it.

"That is pretty small consolation," I tell her, "But I'm glad for it anyway. Thanks."

"It's nothing," she answers, grinning, "I'm always here to help."

"Yeah I'm getting that," I tell her, "So why is this going to be difficult?"

"I'm going to put a truth spell on you," she answers, "You'll have to answer all of their questions truthfully. _All _of them."

"Truthfully?" I ask her, "Umm, there might be some things I'd rather not talk about."

"This is the only way," I tell her, "Unless I do this, The Witches Council will probably assume that you're lying to protect yourself. I promise you, I'm only doing this to help you." I sigh for a moment and try to see it from her point of view. She really is trying to help me out after all. I guess I'm going to have to bite the bullet on this one.

"Okay," I agree, "I'll do this." As soon as I say this, our conversation is interrupted by someone walking through a door.

"The Witches Council is ready to see you," an attendant says, "Come this way." Sabrina pulls me up by the hand and leading me to into a rather ornate hallway.

"Are these clouds?" I ask her.

"Yeah," she tells me, "It's kind of showy, but the Witches Council enjoys this kind of thing."

"Sabrina Spellman," the judge says, "You are here because we understand that you have revealed the secret of witchcraft to a mortal. This is a very serious action."

"I know," she answers.

"It's your job to convince us that Libby Chessler is at risk to reveal the secret to the mortal realm," the judge says.

"I'd never do that," I answer, "She saved my life. I owe her."

"Can you prove that claim?" the judge asks.

"I will," Sabrina says, "With a truth spell." She gestures at me with one finger and says a rhyme. "Life or death, a trial by fire, keep Libby Chessler from being a liar." A glow appears around me and I feel affected by a strange kind of energy. I think I've felt this before. I can only assume I've been affected by Sabrina's magic before.

"That seems acceptable," the judge answers, "Libby, what is the nature of your rivalry with Sabrina."

"I've disliked her ever since the first day that we met," Libby said, "But I was different then. I was jealous of her for a lot of complicated reasons. But the point now is that I'm over it. I don't want to hurt Sabrina anymore. I just want to repay her for saving me. If I can do that by keeping her secret, then that's what I'll do." The judge appears to consider my words carefully before nodding gravely.

"All right," he says, "You'll both be released without punishment. But Libby, I'm going to put a spell on you. If you ever divulge the secret, this spell will cause you to be erased from history."

"What?" Sabrina exclaims next to me, "Don't you think that's a bit harsh?"

"It's necessary to ensure that secrecy is maintained," the judge says, "The mortal world as a whole isn't ready to know about us."

"Sabrina," I tell her, "It's okay. You've already put yourself at risk for me. The least I can do is do the same for you."

"Libby, you don't have to do that!" she says desperately.

"Yeah I do," I say, "It's the only way to be safe." I turn to the judge an nod. He points at me with one finger and I feel the energy again. After a moment, I take a deep breath as the energy fades.

"All right," the judge says, "You two are free to go."

"Thank you," I say, turning to leave, with Sabrina following me.

"Hey Libby?" she asks, causing me to turn back.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Thanks," she says with a smile. I don't answer with words. Instead I return the smile. I have a feeling that things are going to be different now.

(End of Story)


End file.
